The Knights that Went Dark

[Day 7 in Tomar]

Once headquartered in Tomar,
The Order of the Knights Templar
Overcame Islamic domination in Portugal;
They were rewarded the castles of Almourol,
Monsanto, and Pombal.

Faced with perceived heresy,
And political upheaval,
The once mighty warrior monks’
Reputation and status were all laid lower
When the jealous King of France
Persuaded the Pope to destroy the Order.

In case you missed . . .
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

Bend the Knee in Braga

Day 5 was a déjà vu at the São Bento train station, where we boarded the 8:15 a.m. suburban train to Braga. We spent the whole day at a baroque capital founded by the Romans, who named it Bracara Augusta, and now referred to as Braga. Renowned for its numerous churches and nearby Bom Jesus do Monte pilgrimage center, Braga is home to the first cathedral in Portugal.

In case you missed . . .
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4

Gone to Guimarães

Day 4 finds us in the Porto train station at 8:20 a.m. to catch the suburban train to Guimarães, a city of medieval origin, dating back to the 10th century. Its historic center was classified as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO in December 2001.


In case you missed . . .
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

Perambulating Porto

Porto is Portugal’s second largest city and is situated in the northern part of the country. As soon as I alighted from the train from Coimbra, I hit the ground walking. And what a lot to see . . .

Day 2 – In and around Praça da Liberdade and Avenida dos Aliados

If you missed it, see . . . 
Day 1 – Coimbra

 

Portugal: A Perfect 10 (Days)

I traveled through the northern part of Portugal over a month ago, landing in Lisbon first but immediately headed north to Coimbra first and then on to Porto and nearby towns. Truly a country full of beauty and history.

Day 1 – Coimbra
Formerly Portugal’s capital, a medieval city known best for its historic University of Coimbra, the oldest such scholarly institution in all of Europe. The main university building was once the royal palace.


See the rest of the series:
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5

Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9

Day 10

Munich Magnified

[6th and last of a series of posts about my late October travels to southern Germany]

Short distance away
From my memories and heart,
A part of me now.

munich-city3

Nuremberg: During the Nazi Era

[4th of a series of posts about my late October travels to southern Germany]

Nuremberg was considered as the major center of the Holy Roman Empire. In an attempt to mirror the greatness of the medieval past, Hitler and his Nazi Party chose this city to establish a power base and hold their political and military rallies. Hitler’s ambition and dream of building his own empire is reflected in the Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Grounds (Dokuzentrum), a huge building and surrounding edifices that still exist today in the form of a museum established in 1994 inside the Congress Hall. Had Hitler prevailed, there were plans in place to build plenty of additional monuments and structures in the area that were supposed to glorify his political beliefs and stature as a ruler of the empire he imagined would be his.

To Germany’s credit, the museum contains permanent exhibits that educate the public of what led to Hitler’s rise and fall in an objective manner, painfully sensitive to his evil deeds. It is a highly informative forum presented in chronological order, replete with pictures and films. A must for those who want to learn more about this dark part of history. The acreage of what remains of the grounds reveal Hitler’s megalomania.

docu-center